Nori Islands

The Nori Islands an island nation in the Maia world, found to the far east of the Deltoro continent. Comprised of six small islands and an atoll, the Nori Islands display a unique blend of Maori, Mandarin and English culture as a result of colonialism from Lussantian, Perlamuhan and Gloom forces. All seven landmasses were united under one flag officially in only 1962, however independent realms have existed on the islands for thousands of years, with the Nori Island nation originally consisting of only Namoa and Marana, the two islands least affected by colonialism (with Marana having never been occupied).

Early History
Originally inhabited by both Maori and East Asian peoples, the Balaloa island and Tarahanga Atoll are said to be the source of life for all six islands, with archaeological finds suggesting that life has been sustained on Balaloa and the Tarahanga Atoll for up to 25,000 years.

Colonisation from the continent
The first Perlamuhan colonial fleets arrived in 1556, capturing the Hanataka, Kamatawa, Namoa, Bamua and Balaloa islands (the fleets failed to land on Marana due to the treacherous landscape of the island). Perlamuhan rule was generally accepted by the populace, with little resistance being given by the Maori and Chinese natvies. The Tarahanga Atoll was partially taken by the Perlamuhans in 1602, but Gloom forces took the atoll from them in 1610.

In 1765, forces from the now-Lussantian Germanic nations of Desiderianer, Vösgen and Laken landed on the Hanataka island and proceeded to capture Kamatawa and Namoa from the Perlamuhans. The Lussantians were generally unpopular on the islands, with natives feeling exploited by the tough Lussantian tariffs trade and disregard to local ideas and needs. Lussantian rule on Namoa was cut short however, after the eruption of the Namikawa volcano, killing both islanders and colonial forces alike. Following this, Namoa united with Marana to form the proto-Nori nation of Marana and Namoa.

Second Etravean War
With Hanataka and Kamatawa under the control of the fascist Lussantian Realm, Hanatakans and Kamawatans were conscripted into the fascist coalition's army, whilst Bamuans and Balaloans were brought into the allied coalition by under the Perlamuhay army. Eager to reunite the islands, Marana and Namoa positioned themselves in a neutral stance and worked with pro-Nori and Perlamuhan forces to invade both islands, eventually capturing them from fascist control and bringing them into the union of Marana and Namoa.

The Nori nation did not officially exist in its' current form until 1962, when the Tarahanga Atoll was ceded to the Marana and Namoa union by Darkwood, sparking the end of colonisation on the islands.

The Six Islands
The Nori Islands are in the Tropical Ocean, south of Coreel. There are six tropical islands that make up the Nori Islands, known as Hanataka, Balaloa, Kamatawa, Namoa, Bamua and Marana, with the Tarahanga Atoll not being an official island. Around 70% of the population lives on the westernmost island, Hanataka. The capital city, Tamukana, is located on Hanataka and is the most populated urban area of the islands.

All six islands were formed by volcanic activity; the easternmost Balaloa island is the oldest and is often considered by some geologists as one large atoll, which is a sunken volcano topped by coral growth. The source of this vulcanism is the Nori hotspot, which is likely as a result of a mantle plume. Despite their origins, all five islands are considered to be volcanically extinct.

Hanataka
As the largest of the six islands, the majority of the Nori Maori and English populations reside on Hanataka, which has resulted in Hanataka overtaking Balaloa in terms of urban development. The capital of the islands, Tamukana, is located on the western face of the island. Originally one of the five islands brought under the Perlamuhay nation in the 1500s, Hanataka along with Kamatawa and Balaloa were invaded by the now-Lussantian Germanic nations of Desiderianer, Vösgen and Laken in 1765, with Hanataka being left under Desiderianer rule. Smog has become an issue on Hanataka thanks to the industrial insurgence of the late nineties.

Kamatawa
The smallest of the islands, Kamatawa is linked to Hanataka by the Bridge of Amara, named after an ancient Nori Maori goddess. One of the five islands colonised by Perlamuhay in the 1500s, Kamatawa was invaded by the Germanic nations of Desiderianer, Vösgen and Laken in 1765 and brought under Vösgenese control. Despite being under control by continental forces, the entire island of Kamatawa was largely unaffected by colonialism, with the only lasting impact being the small town of Nurawa, which was founded by Vösgenese forces. The island currently operates under the Hanataka jurisdiction.

Namoa
The largest volcano in eastern Maia is located in central Namoa, known as Namikawa by locals. Considered volcanically dormant, Namikawa last erupted in 1768, causing the deaths of over 2,000 islanders and an estimated 500 Lakenese colonial forces. This eruption lead to the Lakanese forces retreating from the island, thus allowing the island to act as a de facto independent realm. Before being taken by Lakanese forces Namoa was one of the original five Perlamuhay-occupied islands.

Bamua
The second largest island, the second largest city of the islands, Tamura, is located on the island's western face. However, much of Bamua is uninhabited; in place of human life is wildlife. Bamua was one of two to remain under Perlamuhan control up until the founding of the Nori nation.

Marana
Just north of Balaloa, Marana is home to numerous rare species of birds and variants of wildflowers. Marana was the only island of the Nori Islands that was not colonised by continental forces, with all potential invaders failing to dock on Marana's rugged coastline.

Balaloa
The easternmost of the islands, Balaloa is considered to be a large atoll by numerous geologists. Avocawa is the de facto capital of Balaloa, with 95% of Balaloans residing in Avocawa or its' suburbs. The majority of Balaloa residents speak both English and Mandarin at a fluent level, partly thanks to the reinforcement of the Chinese language by the Perlamuhan colonisers. Despite initially taking the whole island, the Perlamuhan jurisdiction only operated in and around the city of Avocawa.

Tarahanga Atoll
The Tarahanga Atoll is the southernmost of the Nori landmasses. Very few people reside on the atoll, however archaeologists recently discovered evidence of life dating back to over 10,000 years ago. Although never completely invaded by colonial forces, the atoll has previously been under both Perlamuhan and Gloom control, with the Darkwood colonisers founding the microtown of Tahinga on the atoll's southern face.

Climate
The islands enjoy a tropical climate with a distinct rainy period, which runs from between September and February. The average temperature through out the year is 25°C, with it rarely falling below 15°C. The lowest temperature on record for both islands is 6°C.

Language
The languages spoken on the Nori Islands are English, Maori and Mandarin. Balaloan city Avocawa is the centre of the Mandarin-speaking population, however English is spoken fluently by the majority of Balaloans too. Mandarin is spoken fluently by around 5% of the Nori population; 15% to a general level. Maori is spoken fluently by 17% of Nori Islanders.

Music
The music on the islands is varied, although country is extremely popular and pop music is continuously growing in popularity. Country singer Lucy Hale broke sales records with her album Road Between, which was released in 2014, as it went quintuple platinum on the Nori music charts. Hale is the best selling Nori musician of all time. Traditional songs in Maori and Mandarin still remain popular, with Mandarin pop music experiencing an increasing surge in popularity over recent years.